Trudeau stresses continuity and unity during Edmonton campaign stop

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau took aim at conservative politics and urged voters to embrace progressivism Thursday on his stop in Edmonton, a day after calling a federal election for October 21.

His appearance in Edmonton comes on the night of the first of five federal leaders’ debates, two of which Trudeau has already declined to attend.

Speaking to a crowd of over 400 raucous supporters at the ATB Financial Arts Barn in Old Strathcona Thursday evening, Trudeau focused on his party’s support of the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion, child tax benefit and job creation efforts to drive home his middle class-oriented bid for Albertans’ votes.

“We chose to move Canada forward by investing in families, in workers and in communities, and by having faith in Canadians,” said Trudeau to the sea of Liberal supporters.

Declining to address Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer by name, Trudeau instead criticized Stephen Harper-era cuts and highlighted poverty reduction and changes in elder care made by his government since 2015.

“This fall, we’ve all got a choice to make,” said Trudeau. “Keep moving forward and build on the progress we’ve made, or go back to the Harper years.”

A Liberal party supporter waits waits for Justin Trudeau makes his first election campaign stop in Edmonton, Thursday Sept. 12, 2019. Photo by David Bloom

Alberta is tough terrain for the Liberals, where they hold only three seats. Two of them — Edmonton-Centre, held by Randy Boissonnault, and Edmonton-Mill Woods, won by Amarjeet Sohi, who was minister of natural resources going into the election campaign — were won by extremely slim margins against Conservative candidates in 2015.

Trudeau’s appearance was not met with universal praise. Outside the theatre, a dozen or so protestors, some wearing yellow vests, held signs and shouted criticism of the Trudeau government’s record on the SNC Lavalin affair, during which the federal ethics watchdog recently found Trudeau violated the Conflict of Interest Act.

Justin Trudeau arrives for his first election campaign stop in Edmonton, Thursday Sept. 12, 2019. Photo by David Bloom

Another group of as many as 10 individuals protested Trudeau’s record on climate change, criticizing his government’s decision to buy the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion project in 2018 and approve its expansion in June 2019, a decision Trudeau touted inside to cheers from the crowd.

“We’ve invested in local oil and gas workers and our women and men in the skilled trades who will directly benefit because our government stepped up and bought the Trans Mountain expansion project,” said Trudeau Thursday.

Trudeau closed his impassioned address by urging unity, attempting to address feelings of discontent with Ottawa in Alberta.

“This province and its people matter. Alberta has been key to Canada’s economic success over the course of our history,” said Trudeau. “But just as you have been there and contributed so much to Canada over the years, so, too, will people from the rest of Canada be there for you.”

Editor’s note: This story has been corrected to reflect the name of the ATB Financial Arts Barns.